Union College to host National Guard Family Day event

Union College is proud to announce it will host the 2015 Kentucky National Guard Family Day on Sunday, Aug. 23. The event will support service members and their families from service units in Barbourville, London and Williamsburg.

The annual event will bring together personnel from National Guard units, their family members and family support services. More than 400 people are expected to attend this year’s event.

“It is an honor for Union College to open our doors and show our support for the men and women that serve our country,” said Monica Clouse, Union College Director of Community & Foundation Relations. “Our families are at the core of all we do as individuals and we are privileged to help support the families of this special part of our community.”

Clouse said this is the first time the event is scheduled to take place on the Union campus.

A highlight of this year’s event will be a softball tournament featuring teams from each of the National Guard units. The tournament will be held in honor of Sergeant Jonathan Roark, a local resident and member of the Barbourville unit. Roark, who was killed earlier this year in a vehicle accident, regularly participated in softball leagues within the area.

The tournament will feature teams from the Barbourville, London and Williamsburg units plus one community team consisting of members from Roark’s community softball team in Barbourville. The tournament will take place on Union’s baseball field, with sports equipment provided by the Bulldog athletic department. A trophy will be issued to the winning team with a clause they return next year to defend the trophy. Event organizers hope the tournament will continue for years to come and create a lasting tribute to Roark.

In addition to the softball tournament, Guard families will be treated to a picnic style dinner; children’s activities, games and inflatables will available and the Family Readiness Group will provide support and resources to all service members and their families.

The local community is welcome to join in the event to attend the softball tournament, participate in activities and show support for their military community. The event will begin at 10 a.m. Parking will be available on the Union College campus near the Patridge Campus Center.

For more information, please contact Monica Clouse at mclouse@unionky.edu.